"Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew Mcafee begin the Second Machine Age with a broad discussion of human progress, asking: “What have been the most important developments in human history?” They argue that human social progress corresponds with technological progress, and that the last great leap in human progress can be directly traced to the invention of the steam engine. Furthermore, we, in our current historical moment, are in the early stage of what will become the next great technological and social breakthrough. Where the previous leap had been brought about by our ability to leverage the power of steam (and fully expressed itself in the industrial revolution), the current leap is catalyzed by advances in computer technology, and will lead to what they call a “second machine age.” And what, exactly, will human progress look like? “We’re heading into an era that won’t just be different; it will be better, because we’ll be able to increase both the variety and the volume of our consumption.”

- From ITP Tisch School of the Arts book review by Myriam Melki, Pam Liou, Sam Lavigne, Jon Wasserman February 2014[1]